The City of Brighton and the Colorado Department of Transportation have begun construction on a yearlong traffic project at the intersection of U.S. 85 and Bromley Lane that will add and realign turning lanes to alleviate congestion and accidents in the area.

Part of the project also includes the repaving and relocation of South Main Street, which feeds into westbound Bromley Lane right on top of the highway intersection.

“We’re doing several general safety improvements to that intersection of Bromley Lane and U.S. 85, as well as moving the old U.S. 85 farther away from that intersection,” said Joe Smith, director of street operations in Brighton. “Right now, that road is too close to the intersection, and there’s not enough room for cars to get out safely.”

The old U.S. 85 — now South Main Street — is a two-lane street that winds east along the highway from Bridge Street to Bromley Lane and lets off onto Bromley Lane barely 100 feet from the busy intersection.

The first phase of construction deals with moving South Main Street east by about 200 feet. The city has closed South Main Street in all directions so that construction crews can rip up 500 feet of the old street and move it away from the intersection. The closure of that road will remain in effect until May 10.

“When it’s open, people coming in and out of South Main Street will have a longer sight distance,” Smith said. “People can stack to make left turns into South Main Street from Bromley, which they can’t do now.”

He said the redirection of South Main Street is the only anticipated street closure in the entire project, which is slated for full completion in the fall.

After South Main Street is moved back and reopened, the construction company, KECI Colorado Inc., will begin work to add dual turn lanes from southbound U.S. 85 to eastbound Bromley Lane. The turn lanes from northbound U.S. 85 to westbound Bromley Lane will also be realigned so that both directions of turning traffic can get through the same light.

“That’s one of the biggest things that will make the intersection more efficient,” Smith said. “Bromley from each side has to operate separately because there’s not enough room for both left turns to cross 85 at the same time. We can only run one side at a time.”

To compliment the new turning lane structure, CDOT will install new traffic signals on all four sides of the intersection, said a spokesperson for KECI.

CDOT operates U.S. 85. The agency’s project contribution is about $500,000. The entire project totals just under $5 million, with the city and federal funding each staking more than $2 million. CDOT also purchased two vacant buildings along South Main Street and tore them down last November to make way for the street relocation.

“There have been a fair amount of traffic accidents both in the intersection and coming out of (South Main Street),” Smith said. “This work will help modernize and open up an increasingly busy intersection.”

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